Unmask
by Gemmika
Summary: After Marinette and Adrien start dating, Marinette feels like she is losing her connection to Chat Noir. When a masquerade is announced, she decides to do the only thing in her power to reconnect with her partner… unmask.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I'm not Thomas Astruc or anyone involved with the show. I'm just a humble fan.

Notes: Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at Miraculous Ladybug fanfic. I guess we will see whether or not I'm any good! I hope you enjoy! (Also, this is just the first of two parts. I started with something short.)

In the large plaza just outside the doors of City Hall, a crowd had gathered to witness the ceremony that was about to take place. The mood was festive, excited.

Well, it was that way for almost everyone.

"The Mayor is running late," Ladybug murmured to her partner, Chat Noir. Usually she lived for this kind of thing. She loved greeting the people she was sworn to protect, she loved being a hero and doing her best to keep the city safe. She didn't even mind the occasional events, like this one, that required her presence. She just had a date this afternoon and didn't want to be late. It would require too many questions that she really couldn't answer. After all, Adrien didn't know she was Ladybug.

"He'll be here any moment," he promised, flashing her his trademark grin. She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but managed to stop herself. His flirting smiles had been a rare commodity lately, and she found herself strangely wistful for the days when he had given them freely… when he had referred to her as 'My Lady'. She had never imagined she would miss his playful, teasing banter, but she did. Ever since she and Adrien had started dating, the partnership between her and Chat had changed. They were still a team, still fought well together, but the warm familiarity that had bordered on romance was gone. They were almost like strangers.

She missed the old Chat.

"I have plans this afternoon," she told him, feeling a bit like a whiny child, but unable to stop herself.

"A hot date?" he asked, just a hint of disappointment in his voice.

She shrugged and tried not to notice the way his shoulders slumped in defeat. "It's with that guy I've been seeing the past month or so. Nothing big." It was a lie, every date with Adrien was exciting and special, but she hated hurting her partner, and she could tell that he was in pain.

"Well, I have plans too. A date with a girl from school," Chat said quickly.

Her mouth fell open in surprise and she hurried to close it. Never in a million years would she have thought he had a girlfriend. "You do?" she asked.

It was his turn to shrug. "She's nice enough…" he admitted, but she knew him well enough to know that there was more he wasn't saying.

"She's nice, but…?" she pressed.

He looked her in the eye, his smile for the crowd disappearing as he focused on her. It was so intense that her heart skipped a beat and then seemed to stop beating altogether as he answered her.

"She isn't you," he said.

Never before had she taken his flirting seriously. She assumed he was that way with everyone. Could he… did he actually have feelings for her? His statement has been so sincere and yet filled with such intensity that she was having trouble catching a breath. All of the oxygen had been sucked from the air around her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She wasn't even sure how to respond to his simple admission. Thankfully she didn't have to, because the Mayor's limo finally arrived and she was spared the necessity of a response.

"Terrible traffic today," Mayor Bourgeois muttered as he walked past them to the center of the stage where a microphone had been set up for his use. It was a lame excuse, but neither she nor Chat pressed the issue.

She tried to force a smile in response, but her system was still in a state of shock. She knew that she needed to focus on the event, but it was next to impossible with Chat standing so close to her. She could practically feel the heat radiating off of him. It wasn't exactly helping her concentration.

"Welcome everyone to City Hall! We are here today to honor the great heroes that keep Paris safe, Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

The Mayor gestured toward them, urging them to step forward and greet the cheering crowd. Ladybug pasted a smile on her face, hoping that it looked more natural than it felt, and waved to the people who had gathered there. It wasn't their faults that her entire world view had been shaken to the foundation. They were only there to support her and Chat. It was only fair that she focus her attention now and save her freak out for her own time.

"For the past year and a half, our city has been kept safe by the heroism of these two individuals. They have fought off villains, protected our children and brought a sense of peace to our daily lives. In return for their continuous efforts to keep our great city safe, I have decided to throw a masquerade ball next Saturday evening where they will be the guests of honor."

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. It wasn't often that the Mayor even celebrated dignitaries with a formal function of this magnitude. It was a rare honor, and it brought a genuine smile back Ladybug's lips.

The ceremony lasted only another few minutes, after the announcement of the ball nothing could quite hold as much interest, and then the Mayor turned to speak with them as he often did.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, thank you for being here this afternoon. I do hope you'll be able to attend the ball next weekend," he said jovially, shaking each of their hands in turn.

Her thoughts raced, trying to come up with an excuse to tell her parents for why she would be out of the house all evening on a Saturday night. Maybe she would tell them she had a date… it wasn't exactly a lie. She would be expected to go with Chat after all.

"Of course," she promised. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I'll make sure to clear my schedule," Chat agreed.

"Wonderful, wonderful. I'm looking forward to introducing the two of you to some of our visiting dignitaries from England and Italy that will be here. They are looking forward to meeting our famous heroes."

The Mayor took his leave then, waving to them as he stepped inside City Hall and disappeared back into his daily job. It was all over so quickly that Ladybug felt almost dizzy, thankfully Chat's voice snapped her back to the issue at hand.

"So… what time should I pick you up?"

"Um… why would you need to pick me up? We can just meet at the park and walk here together. It's not too far," she suggested nervously. Her insides were screaming at the thought of Chat coming to her house and picking her up like a normal date. Not that it would be anyway. Not when she was adamant about keeping her identity a secret from him.

"Okaaaay," he said, grabbing the back of his neck and tearing his eyes away from hers. "The ball starts at seven, so we could meet at the park at 6:30?"

"Ah, sure. That sounds great." This was awkward. No. It was worse than awkward. It was almost like they were two complete strangers. They could barely look each other in the eye. How had this happened to them?

Chat took a step away from her. "I've got to get ready for my date. I'll see you next Saturday, all right?"

"Unless Hawk Moth akumatizes another citizen before then!" she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He just nodded and walked away, leaving her with the feeling that she was losing her best friend and there was nothing she could do about it.

Marinette sighed and slumped onto her bed. She wasn't sure her day could have gone any worse.

First there had been Chat's little confession of his feelings, then the awkward parting between them. If that hadn't been bad enough, her date with Adrien had been a complete trainwreck from start to finish. Both of them had been distracted, so the conversation had been lacking to say the least. During dinner they hadn't said more than a few words to each other and what they did say had been about the food. When he brought her home, he didn't try to kiss her, and she didn't push it. It was like being with Chat all over again. She was losing them both and had no idea how to fix it.

She rolled over and groaned into her pillow.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki asked, slipping free of the purse that had been tossed on the desk when Marinette arrived home. "You look sad."

"I think I'm ruining everything, Tikki," Marinette admitted, rolling to her side so she could look at her friend. "Chat can't even look at me anymore, and Adrien barely speaks to me. I'm not sure what's happening."

Tikki nuzzled up to her cheek. "I'm sure things will turn out fine. You have such a big heart."

Marinette sighed. "Not big enough for two."

Because that was the problem, wasn't it? Chat and Adrien were both trying to take up space in her heart, but there wasn't room for both. The worst part was that even though she didn't feel quite the same way about her partner as he felt about her, they _were_ partners. He was in her life for better or for worse. They needed each other. She couldn't lose him anymore than she could lose a limb. He was part of her. If that was the case, where did that leave her relationship with Adrien? Didn't she deserve to fall in love? Or was that impossible for someone who held the power of a miraculous?

"You really didn't know how Chat feels about you?" Tikki asked, her voice as sad as Marinette had ever heard it.

"No," Marinette said, sadness making her throat tight and her voice thick. "I had no idea."

How had she not known? That was something that had been on her mind from the moment she had left City Hall earlier that afternoon. In retrospect it was obvious, and not just the flirting. It was the intensity of his hatred when he had been hit with Dark Cupid's arrow, it was the way he had hugged her when he thought she had been eaten by the stupid dinosaur, it was the pain in his eyes every time she had mentioned she was seeing someone, and it was the sincerity in his eyes when he had sworn to protect her identity. How could she not have realized that he cared for her? Had she really been that blind?

Tears spilled from the corner of her eyes, trailing down her cheek and soaking her sheets. She couldn't understand why he liked her. She hadn't always treated him kindly. She had rebuffed his feelings time and again, usually brushing it off as a joke. If the tables had been turned, she would have despised him.

"Marinette, don't cry!" Tikki begged. She grabbed a tissue from the desk and dabbed at Marinette's cheeks. "You can still fix this somehow. Don't give up."

"I just don't know what to do, Tikki. I can't just force myself to love Chat," she moaned, throwing a hand over her eyes. "But we can't keep going like this either. I feel like we're not even friends anymore."

"Then you have to show him how much he means to you," Tikki said. "Show him that he's your friend, your partner. Show him that you trust him. He needs to know that he isn't just your partner because we chose the two of you, but because you choose him too."

Trust. Partners. _Choices..._

Suddenly, she knew what she had to do. It was terrifying, but it was the only way she could imagine rebuilding their relationship. She just hoped it worked.

"Tikki, is there any way we can alter my transformation outfit a bit?" she asked curiously, a thousand ideas already running through her mind.

"Yes? If you can draw it I can create it, but I'm not sure what that has to do with Chat Noir…"

"I need a dress for the masquerade, don't I? It's the next time I can be sure to see him," Marinette said simply. She was already at her desk, reaching for a pencil and a pad of sketch paper. Her ballgown had to be perfect, to flatter her as both Ladybug and as Marinette. After all, a masquerade was about secrets… and it was time for her to share hers.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so so sorry it's taken so long to get the second half of this out. I got really stuck with the actual reveal, but today the dam broke and everything came pouring out. So... hope it was worth the wait.

The park was quiet for a weekend, especially one during Summer. It was to her benefit though: she couldn't exactly walk from her house to the park in a ballgown. Even so, Marinette found herself constantly checking to make sure no one was around that she knew before she ducked behind a small copse of trees to transform.

"Marinette, it's going to be all right. Try to calm down before Chat gets here," Tikki instructed. "You don't have to do this tonight if you don't think you're ready, okay?"

"No, it needs to be tonight," Marinette argued, though she tried to take deep breaths. "If I keep waiting, we may grow so far apart that even my confiding in him won't help."

Tikki smiled. "I'm proud of you. I was hoping you would tell him soon, after all, who else can really understand what you go through every day?"

Marinette hesitated, feeling uncertainty well up inside her. "I know that, but what if… what if he's disappointed? I mean, I'm just me."

"And you are more than enough. I promise."

Honestly, what did she have to lose? It wasn't like they could become much more distant with each other than they already were. She took a deep breath and gave Tikki a little nod. "It's time. Tikki… spots on!"

The familiar feeling of her transformation washed over her, but it wasn't quite the same. Instead of encasing her entire body, she felt it floating along her hips, squeezing around her torso, and crawling up on shoulder. Having only tried out the dress transformation once before, she couldn't help but run her fingers along the delicate satin material, the beading along her bodice. It was still so unreal to think she had designed this herself.

"My Lady?"

She stood up quickly from her hiding place, Chat's voice carrying to her across the empty park. It took a moment to locate him in the dimming light of the evening, but once she did, she was completely awestruck. He was standing a few feet from her, dressed from head to toe in black as was his usual style, but this time it was more refined. The tuxedo hugged his frame, accentuating his shoulders and chest. The black dress shirt and tie beneath it just added to the overall effect. At least, it affected her. It took almost a full minute for her to catch her breath.

"No tail tonight?" she asked with forced casualness, stepping around the bushes and making her way to his side.

A shy smile crossed her lips as she took in his reaction to her outfit. He was used to seeing her in something utilitarian, a dull, boring superhero suit. Tonight she was feminine, pretty… and she was getting a hell of a response.

His pupils dilated, his breathing quickened, and he reached out a hand toward her involuntarily. She was relieved that all the time spent designing the dress had been worth it.

"I… uh…" he choked out, "coat-tails. No need for another."

It was almost coherent, but she figured she got the picture.

"So," she said lightly, sliding her hand into the crook of his arm, "how long do you think this thing is going to last? I promised my parents I'd be back by ten."

They started walking across the park at a leisurely pace, as though they had all the time in the world to be together. Ladybug certainly wasn't interested in rushing their evening. She still wasn't sure how she was going to find the right moment to reveal herself. Hopefully luck would be on her side and an opportunity would present itself. If not… she may have to drag him up onto the roof of her home and do it there. But that was plan B.

"I really have no idea, but we are the guests of honor tonight. I think if we need to sneak out early, no one can blame us," he teased, tossing a wink her way. She smiled in return. It was good to have him back to his old self, even if only for a little while.

Silence fell between them again, hovering in the air like a presence in an of itself. Conversations between them always seemed to be stilted lately, but it could be ignored when they were busy chasing down an akumatized victim. It was a little different when they were going to be at each other's side the whole night, dancing and making small talk. The silence was actually more painful than she had imagined, which was why she jumped on the first topic of conversation she could think of.

"So… tell me about this girlfriend of yours. What's she like?" she blurted out. When the words reached her ears, she winced. It wasn't exactly the best topic of conversation for them, but she couldn't take the words back now.

His muscles tightened under her hand, and then he placed his own on hers, threading his gloved fingers through hers. It was most likely unconscious on his part, but she got the message loud and clear: he preferred her.

"She's actually really wonderful," he said, his voice soft and filled with a note of regret. "I like her quite a bit, could probably love her if it wasn't for the fact that I met you first."

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. For the first time since she had devised her plan, she wasn't sure if it was going to work… if it was going to be enough.

"The thing is, I enjoy being with her. She makes me smile, makes me laugh. She makes me feel special and wanted," he continued, as though he hadn't just essentially told her that he loved her. "She's a good person, especially when she pretends to let me win at video games." The smile that crossed his lips was one she had never seen on him before. It was gentle, affectionate, genuine. He had never smiled at her that way, and that stab of jealousy that pierced her was both painful and surprising.

"It sounds like she means a lot to you," she said glumly. "She must be something really special."

"She is." He sounded surprised, as though he had never really thought about it before. "What about the guy you're seeing? What's he like?"

Ladybug was taken aback, she hadn't been expecting him to ask about Adrien, though in hindsight it was a logical progression of the conversation. "He's… perfect," she admitted, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"No one's perfect," Chat argued, "there must be _something_ wrong with him."

"I…" she hesitated, unsure of exactly how to put her thoughts into words, "I think he needs me. It's nice to be needed."

"But all of Paris needs you. You're Ladybug," he pointed out. His voice held notes of both surprise and censure. "You don't get enough of that on the job?"

"It's different," she said with a shrug. Her feelings for Adrien, and his feelings for her, were complicated. She wasn't sure it was possible to explain his home life to Chat, or if it was even her place. Thankfully she didn't have to elaborate, because they reached the entrance to City Hall. Within moments they were swarmed by adoring fans, and she lost sight of him in the crowd.

The evening sped by in a flash. She shook hands, took pictures, danced with numerous men that she didn't know… and she hadn't seen Chat for more than a minute at a time since they had arrived.

It was late in the evening, probably too close to her curfew for comfort, when she finally managed to get a moment alone. She stepped out of the ballroom and into the cool evening air. It felt heavenly against her overheated skin, but even better was the silence that greeted her. She needed the quiet to help her gather her thoughts.

She laid her arms on the balcony and looked out over the lights of the city she loved so much. As she took in the sights and sounds, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Someone was approaching her and without turning around she knew who it was.

"Hey, Chat. Care to join me?" she asked, not tearing her eyes away from the view.

Footsteps crossed the balcony toward her and then he settled in at her side, letting his arm brush against hers.

"You know, this has been a terrible date," he said.

She turned to look at him, her gaze moving across the face she knew as well as her own. "Oh? And why is that? You don't like being the center of attention?" she asked.

"I only want the attention of one person here," he teased, bumping her arm with his elbow, "and she disappeared on me."

He may have been teasing her, but she knew he meant what he had said. He had been saying it for so long that she had grown deaf to it, only to realize he truly meant it. If ever there was a time for her to reveal herself, it was now. Maybe if he knew who she truly was he would back off. Maybe Marinette wouldn't hold his interest, and he would be satisfied just being partners. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought, and for the second time that evening she ached at the thought that she could lose him to someone else.

She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him that she needed to talk to him somewhere a bit more private than this balcony, but he turned toward her and held out his hand, effectively silencing her. "Would you care to dance, my lady?"

She hesitated a moment, knowing that if she blew this chance she might not have another tonight, but then she shrugged. It was a ball after all, and she had yet to dance with her "date." "I'd love to," she told him, and grasped his hand in her own.

The moment their hands touched, he spun her into his arms, letting his free hand linger on the small of her back and pulling her close against his chest. The motion was so smooth, so practiced, that her first thought was to wonder how often he danced like this with his new girlfriend. Her second thought was that his his hand, his chest, it was all so much warmer than she was. It was the only explanation for that same warmth stealing into her cheeks.

The music from the ballroom was barely a whisper out on their balcony, but with Chat leading their movements they didn't need much more. His steps were smooth and graceful, as if he had done this hundreds of times before. He was a natural, which made up for the fact that dancing wasn't exactly her strong suit. With him leading, she didn't misstep even once. It was a miracle.

"You seem distracted," he whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her neck and a shiver ran through her.

She tried to laugh, but it sounded hollow to her ears. How was it that he knew her so well? He could always tell when she was upset, when something was bothering her. How could he know her so well… and yet not figure out who she was underneath the mask? He had spent time with her as Marinette a few times, but never had she seen recognition light his eyes. He knew her and yet he didn't, but wasn't that what this was all about? Showing him both sides of herself?

She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. They were filled with so much concern that her words tumbled over themselves in her nervous state. "I… I need to talk to you, and it's important. Do you think we could find somewhere more private?"

Her favorite cheeky grin appeared on his lips. "As you wish, my lady," he said and pulled his staff from his pocket. He slammed it into the ground, secured his arm around her waist, and they were on their way up to the roof before she could blink.

It only took a moment for their feet to land on one of the small, flat areas of the roof, but when he let her go she stumbled. She couldn't count the number of times she had been airborne, either using his staff or her yo-yo, but somehow this was different. The entire night had her off balance, and she didn't like it. It was probably why the words she had been rehearsing all week came out in an anguished rush.

"I'm not who you think I am," she began quickly, "I know that you think you love me, but if you knew who I really was under the mask you wouldn't give me a second look…"

"That's not true," he insisted, slashing his hand across his body like he could negate her words. "It doesn't matter to me who you are under all this. You are still Ladybug. Nothing can change that."

Tears pooled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. She hated to cry, hated the pressure in her chest and stinging in her eyes that came with it. She wiped the tears away with the palm of her hand and took a deep breath. She had to get this all out before she could change her mind.

"Look, Chat, you mean a lot to me, more than I thought you ever could. You are my partner, my best friend… and you deserve to know the truth."

Before she could stop herself, before she could decide that it was too risky, she reached up and gently removed the masquerade mask that was concealing her identity. She and Tikki had had long conversations recently about the magic behind the mask, the fact that it couldn't be removed unless she willed it to. It was possible to remove it and keep her transformation, she just had to want to share her secret… which no Ladybug had before. She supposed she was breaking tradition by showing her true self. She just wished her partner would say something.

She looked up into his eyes, into the surprise and confusion held within them. He wasn't sure how to handle her revelation. She waited for a moment, and then another, but he didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just stared at her with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

"I know I'm not much," she admitted quickly, saying it before he had the chance to, "and you probably need some time to think this through, but this is me. I'm Marinette... Just Marinette."

The last words choked her, and more tears pooled in her eyes. She had expected to feel relieved letting him know, but instead she felt raw. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Her gaze dropped to the ground. She couldn't keep looking into his eyes when all she saw there was confusion. She was tempted to walk away, but she couldn't do that either. Marinette or Ladybug, she wasn't a coward. She had to see this through to the end.

"Marinette," he finally whispered. The word rushed out of him as though it was a breath he had been holding for a long time and hadn't even realized it. It was such a relieved, joyful sound that her eyes shot back to his face just in time to see him cross the space between them and scoop her up into his arms. He crushed her against his chest and spun them around in a circle, whooping with exhilaration.

It was her turn to be confused.

When he finally put her back down on the ground, his hands cradled her cheeks and he stared into her eyes. "How could I have been so blind! It was obvious that it was you!"

He wasn't disappointed. In fact, he looked thrilled. She couldn't quite understand it. She had been expecting a much different reaction, but then again he never failed to surprise her. Still, she felt she had to ask.

"You aren't disappointed that I'm just Marinette?"

He gave a sharp bark of laughter. "Are you kidding? I've been tearing myself apart between the two of you, and I never had to. I had everything I wanted all along."

He bent his head to hers and for a moment she couldn't process what was happening, but when she realized he was going to kiss her, she put her hands on his chest and firmly kept him at arm's length. "Chat, this doesn't change anything. I'm still seeing someone else, someone I care about very much," she said quickly. She didn't want to hurt him, but her heart belonged to Adrien.

Confusion returned to his eyes, as though he couldn't understand why she was pushing him away… and then he started laughing. It was deep and rich, full of genuine humor. It was also familiar, though she couldn't quite place it.

"You took your mask off, but I forgot that I was still wearing mine," he said, still chuckling to himself. "I think this will clear things up."

With a quick and precise movement, he swiped two fingers across his face, removing his mask and revealing his identity.

She felt rooted to her spot, unable to move a single muscle. Adrien. Adrien was Chat Noir. It had been him the whole time! How had she not figured that out? As he had said only a few moments before, he had been tearing himself apart when he didn't have to. The past few months had been hell for her, growing closer to the boy she was madly in love with and yet losing her best friend at the same time. If only she had known the truth! She could have avoided putting either of them through this.

And then another thought occurred to her: Chat's smile… Adrien's smile… when he had been talking about his new girlfriend, he had been thinking about her. She had been the cause of that beautiful smile that had made her ache with jealousy. Somehow, miraculously, she had them both. She now understood why he had stared at her for so long before speaking. He was feeling exactly the same way she was.

"I have you both," she said, bringing a shaky hand to touch his face. She couldn't understand how it had happened, why it had happened, but fate had brought them together. How could someone so unlucky have stumbled across so much good luck?

He smiled at her with a brilliance that seemed to contain all the best parts of both Adrien and Chat Noir. The best of both worlds... and he was all hers.

"So, about that kiss?"


End file.
